


Yell I love you

by Mattdoug



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Hurt/Comfort, Love Confessions, M/M, Mental Health Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-06
Updated: 2020-01-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:07:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22143079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mattdoug/pseuds/Mattdoug
Summary: Bitty just needed to hear someone say "I love you" until he could actually believe it.
Relationships: Eric "Bitty" Bittle/Jack Zimmermann
Comments: 3
Kudos: 81





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sad and gay and that leads to yearning. So here we are ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> Dialogue after the break is straight from the comic

The smell of weed filled the room, giving Bitty the warm sensation in his stomach of a contact high. Even though Shitty’s shoulder dug into his cheek there was a comfortable smile on his face. 

Shitty’s voice broke up the generic hum of the tv show they weren’t watching.

“Bruh, I totally fucking forgot. How was the date last night?”

Bitty lifted his numb body from leaning on Shitty to leaning against the wall now being able to face his friend.

“It was really awkward, bless his heart, and I don’t think anything is gonna come from it” Bitty replied.

“I’m sorry bro,” Shitty said resting his hand on Bitty’s shoulder.

“It sucks because I’ve never had a real relationship, and I spent so much of high school being lonely but I thought it would stop here. Not to say I don’t appreciate you and the rest of the team but bros aren’t the same as a sweetheart. But even if somehow I had a good date and relationship, I would have to make all those first-time mistakes before it ever felt serious.” The words just seemed to fall out of his mouth like the smoke out of Shitty’s. The tears followed just as unintended.

“That really fucking sucks man!” Replied Shitty reaching for tissues. “Here.”

Bitty aimlessly wiped his face and continued

“I just want someone to grab my face and say ‘I love you’ till I believe it.”

Shitty wrapped his friend into a tight hug and felt the tears and ragged breathing against his chest. 

“I know you’ll get there one-day Bits.”

______

The ‘I love you’ came with a crash. Bitty, the plate, and his stomach all fell to the floor. The proof wasn’t the repetition of the phrase that Bitty had dreamed about. It was a hurried and frantic explanation as Jack tried to clean up the mess. It wasn’t needed, Jack’s love came through in his actions and the time they spent together. Just saying it once was enough.

Bitty found himself in the opposite role of his scenario, looking into Jack’s eyes as the words tried to prove themself. “I love you too. I’ve **been** loving you.”

Jack didn’t need the proof either, Bitty did. He needed to say it out loud. After all this time and all the mess, Eric Bittle is In Love. He let himself actually believe it as Jack’s arms wrapped around himself. Everything felt more real as the truth of his memories with Jack were no longer blurred. 


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This features Jack going through a depressive episode but from Bitty's pov, nothing bad happens and they deal with it healthily. 
> 
> This is the idea I had first thought of but didn't know how to write then. Sorry, it took a while to get back to. I hope the style shift isn't too dramatic. Let me know if there's anything I need to fix.

Bitty remembers talking about it before. It was part of a larger conversation, but he really listened because he really wanted to be there for Jack. Somehow Jack talking about having bad days and Shitty’s lectures about how progress isn’t linear did not prepare him for the sight of Jack still in bed midday.

To someone else, it might not seem bad at all; Jack had a game last night and was even watching tape. As someone who was woken up at 8 even on lazy days by his boyfriend getting up and knew that the current expression on Jack’s face proved that he saw no positives on the ice, Bitty was worried. Well more worried.

Jack had seemed out of it when they had skyped in the past few days and the roadie had been rough on the team with the only win being a one-zero game. Watching from Samwell even had the frogs stressed and Bitty’s nails were gross and jagged from nervously picking at them. The man in front of him wasn’t hockey stressed Jack though.

Hockey stressed Jack pushes himself too hard at the rink even on days off, reaches out to those around him because years of therapy does help, and holds Bitty tighter than he did last night. This was much deeper and hurt Bitty just to see. This Jack reminded him of himself the summer of his concussion. Broken, empty, bored, and pretty damn tired.

Bitty knew that unless all of his life was an illusion he was not a mental health expert, but he knew his way around comfort food. 

Removing himself from the doorframe and stretching out the crick in his neck Bitty soberly walked into the kitchen and tried to put things into perspective. The chicken tenders were at the front of the freezer and the mac and cheese box in the cabinet was alone except for a half pack of ritz crackers. His boyfriend had been feeling this way for a while. 

Bitty felt his heart ache, as the thoughts of Jack feeling like too much of a burden even to himself to really take care of himself, flooded his mind. The beeping of the preheated oven took Bitty out of it enough to put the chicken in and walk back to the bedroom. Jack had changed games, and as Bitty sat next to his boyfriend he could see it was an old pens game that Jack loved to use to show strategy to Bitty. The weight of Jack’s head fell onto Bitty’s shoulder and he mumbled something about Crosby, that didn’t seem like the entirety of the thought he had, into Bitty’s shoulder. Bitty leaned his head onto Jack’s hoping something tactile could help just a little. 

“You should take a shower, your hair smells like the bus.” Said Bitty continuing to focus on the small things. Jack agreed, grabbed some comfy clothes, and made his way to the bathroom. He looked like the thought of taking a shower was physically weighing him down.

Bitty put away the laptop and went back to cooking lunch, stopping to poke his head into the bathroom. Jack caught Bitty’s eye as he waited for the shower to heat up. The small smile Bitty gave seemed to help a little as Jack gave one back.

Making the rest of lunch passed by uneventfully with Bitty’s thoughts being occupied with concern. The sound of the shower turning off shifted Bitty’s attention from his own bowl of mac and cheese to the plate he had set up for Jack. It remained untouched as Bitty finished his lunch. 

“I made lunch,” Bitty said walking back into the bedroom where Jack was holding a sock without any real intention of putting it on.

“Thanks, I’m not really hungry though,” Jack responded before putting on his sock now that he had been brought back to reality a little.

“You should really eat, sweetpea.” The concern was now showing through Bitty’s voice.

“I know. I’ll get around to it when I feel more like it.” 

Bitty sat down on the foot of the bed and wrapped his arms around Jack. His formed relaxed some as he leaned into the embrace.

“I kinda want to go back to sleep, Bits,” said Jack slack in Bitty’s arms. Bitty turned to look at Jack’s face.

“I’m gonna see my doctor tomorrow,” Jack said in response to his boyfriend’s concern. With the comforting knowledge that Jack was aware of what was going on and actually taking action, Bitty let go, crawled up to head of the bed, and lifted the blanket up for Jack to join him. Jack tucked himself in face to face with his boyfriend. The two of them stayed there silently for a moment, just trying to process what the other is thinking. 

Bitty reached up stroking the slight stubble on Jack’s cheek.

“I love you,” Bitty said gently looking into the sad blue eyes in front of him.

“I love you too, Bits,” Jack said somewhat instinctually closing his eyes. BItty lifted his boyfriend’s head up gently making him look Bitty in the eyes.

“No, I love you.” Bitty’s voice was quiet but emphatic. “I really truly Love You.” 

A tear started rolling down Bitty’s cheek. He really wanted Jack to believe him especially today when Jack needs to know it more than ever.

“i love you,” This time it came out as a quick whisper. Jack curled himself around Bitty and tucked his face into the smaller man’s chest. Bitty could feel the tears soaking through his shirt and Jack’s stuttering breath. He ran his hands through Jack’s freshly cleaned hair, letting his boyfriend just go through the moment. After a little bit when Jack seemed to be crying less, Bitty pressed a kiss into his forehead. Jack lifted himself up to truly look at Bitty.

“I love you.” Bitty smiled with his red eyes and tear stricken face. Jack gave out a small laugh before moving so he could lie back down not on top of his boyfriend and quickly pulled Bitty into his side not wanting to lose the contact and comfort.

**Author's Note:**

> I will post the next chapter within the week.  
> Find me on tumblr at amessnamedwidogast


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